Historic Gastown has been quietly reinventing itself over the last few years, replacing the souvenir shops with appealing flagships and boutiques.

With the opening of the Fluevog Shoes flagship store, Inform’s new furniture shop and contemporary interiors retailer Nood, the area got a few anchors that have drawn in a wealth of great boutiques that offer unique and little-known brands from around the world and here at home.

Most noteworthy, Gastown has become a magnet for hip menswear shops, from Stussy to Roden Gray, Crome and Yellow and the cult fave, Haven. But women fashionistas also have lots of great shops to choose from, even though Obakki recently closed its flagship to focus on wholesale. There is Mandula, a designer for the very fashion forward, which recently relocated on Abbott St., Planet Claire for sustainable fashion and Dream for the localista.

For a little nosh to keep you fuelled, try Nelson the Seagull, at 315 Carrall St. Homemade bread, nice sandwiches and coffee. See nelsontheseagull.com

For the fashionista

Two of a Few, 354 Water St. oneofafew.com

Two of a Few owner Michelle Rizzardo also owns One of a Few next door and carries a great mix of Canadian and local labels mixed in with international clothing brands for men and women. Celine Dion recently bought a dress from the window there. Lots of cool accessories like fingerless gloves, jewelry, shoes and bags.

With a focus on handmade, locally made or upcycled vintage, this shop is chockablock with cool stuff made by the owner and other locals such as Kim Cathers, who makes skirts out of button-down shirts. There are circle scarves made from strips of brightly coloured tees, $59, handmade obi belts and fabulous scarves made by the owner Eliza Lau, which incorporate feathers, twine, old tees and other bits.

Gift idea: feather hair clips and earrings, $20-$90.

For the alternative professional man

Crome Yellow, 207 Abbott St., cromeyellow.ca

An upscale casual menswear store that is perfect for alternative professionals. The store looks look for small labels with products made locally to reduce the carbon footprint. It carries hand-screened tees by Simeon Farrar, wallets and belts by Vancouver-based Wulf, shoes by Officine Creative, jewelry by Anita Sikma.

Gift ideas include New York Shaving products $45-$200.

For the proud east-Vannite

Sharks and Hammers, 56A Powell St. www.sharksandhammers.com

Located in a historic Gastown building on Alexander Street, Sharks and Hammers radiates cool. It carries its own brand of graphic tees that celebrate neighbourhoods. It has ones listing street names in East Van, skate parks or “hoods” of Surrey. Prices for tees hover around $25.

Gift idea: Born in East Van onesie. $25.

For the cultist style guy

Haven, 7 Gaoler’s Mews, www.havenshop.ca

Haven is a hidden menswear shop in Blood Alley that cashes in the cachet of secrecy. Haven never advertises or seeks publicity. Most of its business is done online, but it welcomes visitors who discover it. It carries many brands not found outside of Japan but also Vancouver brands rarely found in Vancouver. Perfect for guys who want to be unique.

Gift idea: NH.CO. Leather bracelet by Neighbourhood, a Japanese label only found in two North American shops. $115

For the collector

Inuit Gallery of Vancouver, 206 Cambie St., inuit.com

A great place for collectors. Most of the art is original at the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver but there are a few gift items such as the Sabrina Hill stainless candle surrounds and limited edition prints for as low as $50. It also has jewelry and a lovely silver-plated Raven Ladle for $95 or a silver-plated frog bowl for $95, both by Corey Bulpitt.

For the modern family

Parliament, 115 Water St., Parliamentinteriors.com

Parliament is a home décor shop with lots of small items. There is a bit of an owl theme going on which makes sense when you realize that Parliament is the term for a group of owls. It has lots of Christmas decorations for sale now, inexpensive wall art, graphic throw blankets and Kermodi Living Art table gardens.

Gift idea: felted Modern Family pillows with cutouts of straight, lesbian or gay families.

For the condo dweller

Zientte, 18 Water St. www.zientte.com

High-end furniture store Zientte is stocked with beautiful things to lust after, but it has a few smaller items including end tables and polished concrete planters/vases that have a nice minimalist look to them.

Nouvelle Nouvelle caters to the 18- to 35-year-old creative types who like graphic design and appreciate the designs of lesser-known labels from Australia, France, New York and Sweden. Clothes range from $50-$500. There are lots of accessories and gift items, including alpaca knitted cowl scarves, hand-blended organic perfumes, water-based nail polish and minimalist calendars.

Gift idea: Adina Mills raw crystal cocktail rings. $110-$180.

For the girly girl

Holly, 215-332 Water St., shopholly.com

Owner Holly Wong goes off the beaten track to seeks labels from Europe and the U.S. The clothes, like the cobalt blue silk shirt dress by Mason, are beautiful. She also has great graphic tees featuring iconic musicians $55-$80.

Gift idea: Cpac leather and metal bracelets $39-$55.

For the minimalist girl

Oak and Fort, 32 Water St., oakandfort.com

Oak and Fort appeals to women of all ages who like a lean, modern look. Prices range from $30-$200 and the labels are both Korean and in-house. Staff suggest different ways to wear items. Designs include the Rumi knit dress that is maxi in back and above the knee in front. $58. Great chunky knit cardigans, palazzo pants and blouses.

Mainly women’s fashions with a small menswear collection, LYNNSteven with a super-cool round dressing room made of used paperbacks carries a wall of party dresses, lots of neat jewelry and a line of cashmere scarves by Nepal-based fair trade label A Peace Treaty. Other finds include Pyrrha jewelry which presses antique wax seals into silver or bronze, $120-$200 and Ilia lipstick, which is local and 85-per-cent organic, $24

Gift idea: intarsia hats, mitts, booties and sweaters by Granted, a local family-based enterprise that has existed since 1978.

A thrift and vintage store that caters to young artists, students and restaurant workers, Community has lots of fur and faux fur coats for $10-$50 and loads of chunky sweaters. You can buy clothes in here for under $5. It is a social enterprise shop that funds programs of the Portland Housing society. Dec. 1 sees the shop divide into two with the one on Carrall featuring party dresses and other womenswear and the Cordova location selling men’s and unisex items.

Gift idea: chunky sweater.

For the casual style guy

Roden Gray, 8 Water St., rodengray.com

A spacious men’s casual separates shop, Roden Gray carries some great labels including outerwear local designers Wings and Horns and treated cotton field jackets by Barbour as well as others from Japan, Italy and the U.S.Prices range from $60-$3,000 and the clothes appeal to adults young and older.

Gift idea: leather bag by Montreal-based WANT Les Essentiels de la vie or a short sleeved tee by Rxmance or Blanc and Noir in the $70 range.

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